Does weight affect calorie burn?

jadeyq1

Question: Does a heavier person burn more calories doing the same exercise a lighter person? What I mean is if I walked for 30 minutes with my other half would I burn more calories than him? He weighs about 138 pounds and I weigh about 100 more than that! If the answer is yes, does anybody know why?

Thanks,

Jade x

Swibbels01

Typically yes, however if you want an accurate calorie burn reading, use a heart rate monitor

jacksonpt

Yes, because the workload is greater. It takes more energy to move 250lbs 1/2 mile down the road than it does 150lbs down the same half mile.

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ninerbuff

Question: Does a heavier person burn more calories doing the same exercise a lighter person? What I mean is if I walked for 30 minutes with my other half would I burn more calories than him? He weighs about 138 pounds and I weigh about 100 more than that! If the answer is yes, does anybody know why?

Thanks,

Jade x

Yes. The reason why is it take more energy to move something heavier.


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TR0berts

If the answer is yes, does anybody know why?

Yes - it's basic physics. The energy expended is equal to the amount of work done. Work done = force (needed to move a mass/weight) x the distance. Since you weigh more than your other half, your work done (for the same distance) is greater than his. There are a few more variables, but those are largely negligible for this particular case.

Chief_Rocka

Yes.

However, a lighter person, on average, is in better shape, and would likely achieve a higher calorie burn than a heavier person, because a person in better shape is able to exercise with greater intensity.

jadeyq1

Awesome! Quiestion answered! Thank you to all Makes sense now! x

tigerlion2013

Which is why professional cyclists have that lean build for all the reasons previous posters described. People with a lean build have an advantage over stocky guys on those hills.